September 25, 2011, 18:00 UTC+3Yuri Trutnev warned of increased fines for those companies that will burn more than five percent of associated gases

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MOSCOW, September 25 (Itar-Tass) —— Russian Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Yuri Trutnev on Sunday warned of increased fines for those companies that will burn more than five percent of associated gases.

“Today, companies send billions roubles to implement the government resolution binding them to use 95 percent of associated gases starting from 2012,” he said at a media forum held within the framework of the United Russia congress. “Companies are only allowed to burn five percent.”

According to the minister, a number of companies have already implemented the government’s resolution. Such companies, in his words, include Surgutneftegaz and Tatneft. LUKoil, he said, has “rather good positions,” while Rosneft “is somewhat lagging.”

“Those who fail to do it by 2012 will have to pay more. They are fully aware of that,” he stressed.

In the meantime, he said that Russia has hydrocarbon resources enough to last for another 100 or 150 years. In his words, Russia’s shelf hydrocarbon resources are estimated at about the same as its continental resources. Moreover, after Russia signed a treaty with Norway, its equivalent fuel shelf resources have augmented by another five billion tons.

“So far, Russians have oil and gas. Reserves will probably be enough to last for 100-150 years,” he said.

Nonetheless, the humankind will have to seek alternative energy sources in the long run, he added.